SINGAPORE - National digital giving platform giving.sg, which allows people to donate to about 600 registered non-profits in Singapore, saw donations drop for the first time in 2023 after four consecutive years of growth.

The platform, which also allows users to volunteer and raise funds for causes, raised $94.6 million in 2023 – a 3.5 per cent dip from the $98 million received in 2022.

It also saw a drop in unique users for the third time since 2021, after it experienced a surge in donors at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

There were about 177,000 donors in 2020, but the numbers have declined every year since. The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), which oversees giving.sg, said there were about 114,000 donors in 2023.

Despite a rise in the number of campaigns on the platform, individuals who started their own fund-raisers collected fewer donations in 2023, said NVPC. A total of $9.9 million was raised through more than 2,400 campaigns in 2023, compared with $10.8 million from over 1,800 campaigns in 2022.

Dissecting the numbers, NVPC chief executive officer Tony Soh said the drop in donors and donation amounts could be due to a post-pandemic correction, where donors might have diversified their giving methods or reverted to offline donations.

Rising inflation and cost-of-living concerns in the last couple of years could also have affected donations, he said.

Mr Soh noted that the number of donors, donations and fund-raising campaigns remained much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

NVPC said that despite there being fewer unique donors, the average donation per donor has steadily increased over the years, rising from about $530 in 2020 to about $830 in 2023.

Mr Soh believes the spirit of generosity among Singaporeans will remain strong in 2024, despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties. He said they have consistently demonstrated a remarkable willingness to donate and volunteer for causes that resonate with them.

“While the macro landscape may create headwinds for the sector, it is also an opportunity for Singaporeans to step up and come together to uplift individuals and strengthen communities,” he said.

Other online donation and crowdfunding platforms shared preliminary report cards for 2023.

Give.Asia, a Singapore-based fund-raising platform, said giving is on the rise in Singapore as it saw more people giving on its platform in 2023, compared with 2022. It did not give details of the sums raised in either year.

However, its chief executive officer Pong Yu Ming said the average amount per donor was lower by about 20 per cent, at $80 per donation.

He noted that the typical charity is getting more tech-savvy with new websites, social media marketing campaigns and a push towards more online giving.

Crowdfunding platform Ray of Hope, which is also a registered charity and Institution of a Public Character, raised over $6.8 million in 2023. This was a “big increase” from 2022, when it raised over $4.1 million, said its general manager Tan En.

He linked the increase to major fund-raising campaigns for two children who required gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. The treatment for each child cost more than $2 million.

While the overall donation amount increased, Mr Tan said the number of individual fund-raising campaigns fell from 260 in 2022 to 230 in 2023.

He said this could be a reflection of the impact of enhanced assistance programmes like ComCare, the Government’s primary financial aid scheme for needy families that had its income benchmark raised in 2023.

Mr Tan added: “However, the level of assistance required from us remains considerable, with the average campaign goal increasing year on year, highlighting the ongoing challenges of increased living costs and the evolving, complex needs of our beneficiaries.”

He said that in 2024, Ray of Hope anticipates a continued focus on multi-stressed families, transnational families and the elderly, particularly in campaigns to raise funds for their medical needs.

Mr Tan said: “Our efforts are rooted in the conviction that collective generosity and awareness are key to building a society where every individual is supported and empowered.”